Spring shade-roller.



PATENTED JAN. 13, 1903.

P. M. VI0KERY. SPRING SHADE ROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, 1902.

NO'MDDEL.

Willi/Wes;

in STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK M. VICKERY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPRING SHADE-ROLLER.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,178, dated January 13, 1903. Application filed April 12, 1902. Serial No. 102,529. (No model.)

1'0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK M. VIOKERY, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 'in Spring Shade- Rollers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object, first, to provide simple and effective means for stopping the rotation of a spring shade-roller when the curtain is being pulled down before the curtain has been entirely unwound, thus preventing the possibility of tearing the curtain from the tacks which attach it at its upper end to the roller, which often happens when the unwinding rotation of the roller is accelerated, so that the curtain is entirely unwound and the pulling strain is exertedon the tacks. t

The invention also has for its object to provide certain minor improvements relating to a spring shade-roller and looking tothe efficiency and convenience of its operation.

The invention consistsin theimprovements which I will now proceed to describe and claim. 7

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the upper portion of a window-casing and a spring shade-roller mounted thereon. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section showing the parts of the roller embodying my invention. Fig. 3 represents a view of the end of the roller from whichthe spring-holding spindle projects and a side view of the bracket engaging said spindle. Fig. 4 represents an enlargement of the end of the roller shown in Fig. 3, the bracket being omitted. Fig. 5 represents an end view of the opposite or trunnion end of the roller and a side view of the bracket in which the trunnion rotates. Fig. 6 represents a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 representsa section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 represents a plan view showing portions of the screw-threaded spindle shown in Fig. 2 and the adjustable stop-plug thereon. Figs. 9 and 10 represent different views of the adjustable stop-plug. Figs. 11 and 12 represent different views of the helical ring, which connects said stop-plug with the threaded spindle; and Fig. 13 represents a top view of the end portion of the roller from which the spindle projects.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, a represents a wooden shade-roller having a longitudinally-extending-cavity a for the reception of the operating-spring?) and the parts to which said spring is connected, as hereinafter described.

0 represents the usual trunnion, affixed to one end of the roller, and 01 represents the bracket-engaging portion of the spindle d, which is affixed at e to one end of the spring b, the opposite end of said spring being secured to a filling-piece or dowelf, which is movable longitudinally in the chamber a and is rotatively engaged with the. roller a by means of a pin g, entering a longitudinal slot a in the roller Cb.

h h represent the usual gravity pawls, which are pivoted to the end of the roller from which the spindle projects, said pawls engaging notches '5 71, formed in the opposite sides of the projecting portion d of the spindle. The spindle d is screw-threaded, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8, and is preferably of considerably larger diameter than the bracketengaging portion (1, said portion being provided with a shankd which enters a socket formed in the spindle d and is detachably secured to the latter by suitable means, such as a pin d The spindle dis preferably made of wood and is provided at its inner end with a seat (1 preferably of tapering form, for the spring I), one end of-the spring being secured to the seat d by the staple e. The outer end of the spindle d is preferably reduced in diameter and is provided with a metallic ferrule d The pin (1 above referred to, projects from the periphery of the screw-threaded portion of the spindle d and between two of the convolutions of the screw-thread, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, said pin beinglocated near the outer end of the screw-threaded portion of the spindle.

01 represents a similar pin which projects from the screw-threaded periphery of the spindle d and between two of the convolutions of the screw-thread at a point between the pin 01 and the inner end of the spindle.

It represents an ear or lug which is formed to enter and slide in the slot 00 in the roller a and is fixed to a helical band is, which is formed to engage the screw-thread'of the spindle d, said band being preferably formed, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, to occupy substantially one convolution of the thread. The ear is is or may be made of a piece of sheet metal pressed into shape from one piece of metal, as shown in Fig. 9, the ends of the piece being oppositely extended and formed to engage the screw-thread of the spindle. The said ends are engaged with the ends of the helical band the said band and the portions of the sheetmetal piece engaged therewith constituting the equivalent ofa.

nut which is engaged by the ear 70 with the slot a in the roller, so that the nut will rotate with the roller, as hereinafter described, and will thus be moved lengthwise of the roller by the screw-thread of the spindle d. The said nut is located between the pins (1 and d and is formed to be arrested alterternately by said pins, and thus arrest the rotation of the roller. The arrangement of the pins (1 and d is such that when substantially the entire shade is wound upon the roller the base portion of the ear 70 will abut against one of said pins, and thus prevent fur ther rotation of the roller in the direction required to raise the shade and against the other of said pins when the shade is pulled down to its lower limit. The distance be tween the pin (1 and the outer end of the spindle depends upon the length of the spring 17, the said pin being nearer the said outer end when the spring is relatively long than when it is relatively short. It is to be noted that the base portion of the ear 7c and the sides of the pin against which it abuts form coacting portions of stop devices which insure that the limit of the downward pull of the curtain Will be reached when the stop-paw1s of the roller are out of engagement for the purposes hereinafter described. These abutting faces are substantially parallel with the axis of the roller, so that they will make lateral contact when they meet and will therefore not bind the roller. The pin d prevents a backward strain when the roller is unmounted. The

distance between the pins d and d is such when the unwinding movement of the roller I is arrested by the pin d It will be seen, therefore, that provision is made for preventing the entire unwinding of the shade and the liability of tearing the shade from the fastenings which secure it to the roller. It

will also be seen that the pin which limits the winding-up rotation of the roller prevents the lower end of the shade from being carried upwardly and caught in the space between the roller and the window-casing.

The construction of the pins and car as described enables the stop-pin which limits the downward pull of the curtain to be so placed or set in the screw-threaded portion of the spindle d that the contact of the ear 70 with said pin occurs when the gravity-pawls h h are substantially midway between the notches 'i '5, thus causing the curtain to return slightly after the usual locking action of the pawls and leaving sufficient play to enable the usual jerk to be given to the curtain to release the pawls prior to the upward movement of the curtain. In actual practice I place or set said pin as just described.

m represents a handle engaged with the projecting portion dof the spindle, said handle being adapted to be grasped between the thumb and finger of the operator, who is thus enabled to rotate the spindle for the purpose of tightening or increasing the tension of the spring b, this operation being performed when the portion d is removed from its bracket, the operator holding the roller in one hand and grasping the handle m in the other hand. This operation may be performed, if desired, without removing the trunnion c from its bracket.

The handle m is preferably formed as a ring, out through at one side, and the ends formed by the cut inserted in sockets m 907., (see Figs. 2-and 4,) formed in the enlargement (Z of the projecting portion 01, said enlargement containing notches i i, which engage the gravitating pawls h h. The handle m is'adapted to be swung against the end portion of the roller when not in use, as indicated in the drawings, and to be swung outwardly, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 13, when it is being used to tighten the spring.

It will be seen that when the spindle is being rotated by the handle 'm to tighten the spring the gravitating pawls h h act to prevent the un winding of the spring, the same as when the curtain is being operated in the usual manner.

The bracket-engaging portion (1 is preferably composed of a cylindrical body 2 and ears or wings 3 3, projecting in opposite directions therefrom, the body 2 being preferably of the same diameter as the trunnions c. This form enables me to use the same bracket 19 for either end of the roller, said bracket being provided with a circular orifice 4:, adapted to receive either the trunnion c or the body 2, and with slots 5 5 extending in opposite directions from the orifice 4. The slots in one bracket receive the ears 3 3 and prevent the rotation of the spindle d, the trunnion 0 being adapted to rotate in the orifice 4 of the other bracket. I have shown each bracket provided with two orifices 4 to enable the roller to be located at different distances from the window-casing. The edges of the bracket may be provided with notches 6 to receive the trunnion c and the stud (1 when it is desired to temporarily support the roller and shade to ascertain the length of shade which must be unrolled to cover the window-opening.

It will be seen that the described provisions for adjusting the spring by hand instead of by the ordinary method of unwinding the shade While the roller is in place in its brackets and then removing the roller from the brackets and rewinding the shade while the roller is removed enables the adjustment to be much more quickly effected than heretofore.

The flanged ferrule 0", which surrounds the space containing the pawls h 72, and limits the outward movement of said pawls, is engaged with the roller, as usual, by inwardly-projecting bosses 7", formed by indenting the ferrule after it has been applied to the roller, the bosses entering the surface of the roller. The

end portion of the roller covered by said ferrule is provided with grooves 3, one for each boss 7". The said grooves permit the ferrule to be removed from the roller without tearing the wood between the bosses and the ends of the roller.

The brackets 19 are preferably made of sheet metal, sufficiently resilient to permit the brackets to be sprung sidewise to facilitate the mounting and unmounting of the roller.

I claim- 1. A shade-roller having a screw-threaded spindle engaged with one end of the rollerspring, a bracket-engaging stud aflixed to said spindle, a nut engaged with the screwthread of the spindle, and having a projection engaging a longitudinal slot in the roller, whereby the projection is caused to move endwise on the spindle when the roller is rotated and the spindle held, the spindle having a stop adapted to engage the projection and arrest its inward endwise movement and the rotation of the roller, after a predetermined endwise movement of the projection.

2. A shade-roller having a screw-threaded spindle engaged with one end of the rollerspring, a bracket-engaging stud affixed to said spindle, a nut engaged with the screwthread of the spindle, and having a projection engaging a longitudinal slot in the roller, whereby the projection is caused to move endwise on the spindle when the roller is rotated and the spindle held, the spindle having two stops, one adapted to arrest the inward and the other the outward endwise movement of the projection and the accompanying rotation of the roller.

3. A shade-roller having a screw-threaded spindle engaged with one end of the rollerspring, a bracket-engaging stud affixed to said spindle, said stud having pawl-engaging notches and a pivoted key or handle whereby the spindle may be rotated, a nut engaged with the screw-thread of the spindle, and having a projection engaging a longitudinal slot in the roller, and one or more stops on the spindle adapted to engage said projection.

4. A spring shade-roller having a screwthreaded spindle engaged with one end of the spring, said spindle having stops, and a nut engaged with the spindle between the stops, said nut being composed of a helical ring having separated ends, and a projection engaged with the said ends.

5. A spring shade-roller having stop-pawl mechanism, and stop devices for positively limiting the downward pull of the curtain at a point when the stop-pawl mechanism is out of operative position, said stop devices having coacting portions which present abutting faces substantially parallel with the axis of the roller.

6. A shade-roller bracket having a plurality of orifices located at difierent distances from the base of the bracket, said orifices being connected and having slots 5 5 to receive ears of a roller-spindle.

7. A shade-roller bracket having an orifice adapted to receive a roller-trnnnion and provided with edge notches to temporarily support said trunnion, said notches being formed to permit the trunnion to be rotated while resting therein, to facilitate the adjustment of the length of shade to be unrolled, prior to placing the trunnion in the said orifice.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK M. VICKERY.

Witnesses:

O. F. BROWN, E. BATCHELDER. 

